


Five Times Moomintroll and Snufkin Almost Kissed (And One Time They Did)

by zombified_queer



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alcohol, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 18:31:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19256803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombified_queer/pseuds/zombified_queer
Summary: But how does anyone know the other person wants to kiss them? How should Snufkin approach the topic? Would it be too forward of Moomintroll to just sneak a quick peck?





	Five Times Moomintroll and Snufkin Almost Kissed (And One Time They Did)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to Tumblr for Snufmin Week 2019, but also posted here for people to enjoy.

The first time, it was just after Snufkin returned from his winter holiday. Snufkin turned his head at just the wrong moment, shaken out of his dreamy recounting by Moomintroll’s paw in Snufkin’s own. Moomintroll just barely stopped the kiss intended for Snufkin's cheek from crashing into the mumrik's lips.

Instead, Moomintroll looked down and pretended to be interested in the riverbank pebbles, their roundness and shine after being buried under snow.

Snufkin tightened his grip and walked up the way to Moomin’s home with Moomintroll, talking all the while about the places he had seen, the adventures he’d had.

* * *

The next time, Snufkin innocently wiped a bit of sauce left over from supper from the corner of Moomintroll's mouth. Snufkin didn't want that dear white fur to stain. It would be a tragedy. Just harmless affection between the two of them, alone at the table, after dessert had been cleared away.

And then he found himself leaned in without good cause. So Snufkin took Moomintroll's face in one hand and pretended to inspect Moomintroll's face for any other sorts of untidiness. Snufkin hoped Moomintroll didn’t see the way he balled up the napkin in his other hand, knuckles white.

* * *

And then there was the time they skipped rocks on the summer sea at sunset. Snufkin's paw adjusted Moomintroll's grip on the smoothest pebbles until Moomintroll could get the stones to skip thrice on brine before sinking under the waves.

They turned to face one another. Moomintroll tripped over a large and unsteady stone and Snufkin caught him without a second of hesitation. Before they realized it, they'd gravitated together, into that mutual almost.

Little My shouted at them to hurry home or they’d miss dinner and they jumped apart like they’d never been within breathing distance of one another.

* * *

Warm wine just after the Midsummer night bonfire brought them together again. Snufkin delighted in the knowledge that he fit neatly under Moomintroll's snout as they lay in the cool grass. Moomintroll delighted in the moonbugs that seemed to flit about just for them.

Snufkin considered Moomintroll's snout and how it might feel to kiss him. Moomintroll considered the same about Snufkin, how the mumrik might react to the gentlest press of snout against his mouth.

Instead, Snufkin fumbled in the grass for the bottle of wine and took another swig from the mostly empty bottle to forget about it.

* * *

Autumn always stuck bittersweet in Moomintroll's chest. It terribly cozy, right for evening cocoa and pumpkin pie. But he knew there was nothing he could do to stop the first frost of winter. Nor could he stop Snufkin from going away.

Moomintroll thought, as he and Snufkin washed the dishes from supper, that kissing Snufkin would feel quite nice. After all, it was just the two of them. And here, now was the time to kiss Snufkin. A hundred kisses, though, wouldn't stop time.

So Moomintroll dried the last of the plates and pined in silence for his dear friend.

* * *

"Snufkin!"

Snufkin paused, halfway across the river that separated Moomintroll's home from the forest. Hearing his voice drew Snufkin out of his idle thoughts of where to visit in the winter. It was the only sound he’d heard so far, aside from the snow gathering. All of the birds had gone south and the animals were bedded down in their dens.

“Snufkin!”

He turned and watched as Moomintroll hurried down the way, down from the warmth of the bright blue house that already had a lawn of white and delicate frost lacing the windows. Inside looked terribly cozy and warm. Perhaps Moominpapa had stoked the fire while Moominmama made those last cups of cocoa before the long winter’s sleep.

And yet Moomintroll ran as if he was being chased, ran as if his life depended on it. But he wasn’t scared, he was worried. And Snufkin knew he was the object of Moomintroll’s concern. Snufkin tried to commit that image to memory so it could last as hot coals of home deep in his chest.

"You should be sleeping!" Snufkin called.

When Moomintroll reached the bridge, he stopped and panted. Without a word, Moomintroll held up Snufkin's pipe in one snow-pale paw.

"You forgot this," Moomintroll explained as he tried to catch his breath.

"Thank you." Snufkin took his pipe, hiding it in his coat. "I wouldn't have survived the winter without you."

They stood on the bridge, quiet aside from the snowfall. Something settled between them, comfortable and calm and terribly deep.

"Can I kiss you, Moomintroll?"

Moomintroll went bright red under his thick winter coat. He looked away, but nodded. Snufkin cupped Moomintroll’s snout and guided his dear friend to look at him.

Then, Snufkin leaned in and kissed Moomintroll gently. Moomintroll found himself holding Snufkin's cold hands in his own warm paws. It was everything they’d both fantasized about through the seasons and everything about it was perfect. They only pulled away when they needed to breathe. And even then, they stood close together like roosting doves.

"I wish I could stay," Snufkin murmured as he stared at the frozen river.

"You could!" Moomintroll glanced at his friend. Without thinking, Moomintroll brushed some snow off Snufkin’s coat."We have a spare bedroom and it would be warmer than going south."

"I can't . You know that. And I know it too." Snufkin kissed Moomintroll again, a quick peck on the snout. "You need to sleep during the cold and I need to be awake. But I'll be back in the spring. I always am."

Snufkin's hands slipped out of Moomintroll's grasp. Moomintroll believed Snufkin would return. He always did. And Moomintroll knew he would just have to wait until spring for more of Sufkin's kisses.

For a long while, Moomintroll stood on the bridge and watched Snufkin walk off on the start of his southbound journey. Moomintroll waited until he couldn’t see Snufkin through the trees. Slowly, Moomintroll returned home for one more cup of cocoa before hibernating.


End file.
